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This cartoon by a Ghanaian artist has made China very unhappy
A caricature by Ghanaian artist Bright Ackwerh about the galamsey menace appears to have ruffled the feathers of the Chinese embassy who have called on Ghana's government to "stop such things from happening again".
In a strongly worded letter to the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Chinese embassy in Ghana, urged the government to check the media and stop the publication of what it describes as defamatory cartoons.
“There are a number of distorted or biased reports and stories on Chinese people, especially some reports and cartoons that are defaming Chinese leaders and senior officials. The Chinese side is very concerned about this unhealthy tendency. We hope that the Ghanaian government will pay due attention to this situation, take the necessary action to stop such things from happening again and guide the media to give an objective coverage on the illegal mining issue so as to create a good environment for further development of our bilateral exchanges and cooperation.”
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Although no names were mentioned, it appears that a caricature by Ghanaian artist Bright Ackwerh about the galamsey menace is what has ruffled the feathers of the Chinese embassy.
The cartoon was posted on Facebook on Tuesday April 4 by the award-winning artist and has since been shared across various social media platforms in Ghana.
It shows the Chinese ambassador to Ghana, Sun Baohong, happily showing off a gold bar to the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping while he serves Ghana’s president and minister of natural resources with muddy water from a traditional Chinese vase. However, beside Xi Jinping are two bottles of clean water.
Chinese businessmen have been some of the major contributors of cash and equipment to the illegal mines. The mines have led to the pollution of many of Ghana’s rivers, raising concern about access to potable water in Ghana within the next decade.
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Bright Ackwerh has also previously drawn the Chinese dissent artist Ai Weiwei, who was arrested and held for three months by Chinese authorities in 2011 in what was widely seen as a retaliation for his criticism of China’s human rights abuses.
Ackwerh, the 2016 winner of the Kuenyehia Prize for Contemporary Ghanaian Art, is known for using his caricatures for social commentary.
He has previously satirised Zimbabwe’s long serving president, Robert Mugabe, Queen Elisabeth II, depicted Ghana’s former president John Mahama as a dead goat, drawn Kofi Annan (former UN Secretary General) smoking marijuana and current US president Donald Trump.
In a 2016 interview with Pulse.com.gh, the artist said, "I don't think I'm even that controversial. It's more like there is a fear of speaking up about sensitive topics which I also have but I don't let it deter me from commenting anyway. I have had experiences where some of my work has been rejected by some exhibition spaces due to the sensitivity of their subjects but by doing that it only hinders artistic license and true creative spirit."
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Sources close to the artist say he is planning another cartoon about Chinese involvement in galamsey.
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